The meaning of a prompt

 The meaning of a prompt

Hello! Today, I'm going to try to solve the meaning of the word "prompt" in a friendly way, which is used a lot these days. Especially in the fields of artificial intelligence (AI), writing, and computers, many of you may be confused. In this article, I'll summarize what prompts mean, how they are used in certain situations, and examples that we can easily understand in our daily lives.

1. Prompt Default Meaning

The English word "prompt" originally means the adjective "quick, immediate" and the noun "instruction, stimulation, input."

Adjectives: Quick, no delay (e.g., prompt action → quick action)

noun: a word or signal that induces an action or thought (e.g., a prompt to speak → a signal that induces a person to speak)

Verbs: provoke to act, induce to speak (e.g., She prompted him to answer)

2. Meaning of prompts in AI

"Prompt," which we hear the most these days, means a sentence or question that you type into artificial intelligence.
For example, if you write to an AI like ChatGPT, "Let us know the weather today," this sentence is the prompt.
In other words, it can be summarized as an "input statement to draw any answer or result to the AI."

3. What a prompt means on your computer

Prompts are originally often used as a sign to enter on the computer screen.
A flickering cursor (>, $) on the old DOS screen or coding program is the prompt.
In other words, it's like a placemark where the user gets a signal to say, "Enter here."

4. a prompt in writing and teaching

Even in writing and education, the word prompt often appears.

Writing prompt: a sentence or question that gives you an idea to write

Example: "Describe your most memorable trip."

Discussion prompts: questions to start or expand a conversation

Example: "If you could time travel where would you like to go?"

In other words, it acts as a starting point for drawing out someone's thoughts and making them act like seeds of ideas.

5. Importance of Prompts

Especially in the age of AI, the results vary greatly depending on how well you use prompts.

Write short → Simple answer

→ More precise and useful answers
So these days, a new job or technology field called "Prompt Engineering" has emerged.

6. easy-to-understand prompts in everyday life

Telling the chef "One Black Bean Noodles, please" → Order Prompt

Saying "Sit down!" to your dog → a prompt to induce action

"Write 3 of your strengths" in the exam questions → Writing prompt
It's not hard to look at it like this, right? After all, the prompt is "a signal or instruction that prompts you to start something."

7. How to write prompts well

Write specifically

Rather than just writing "Puppy" → "Describe a little brown puppy running around in the park"

Decide the format you want

"Organize it in a table" and "Make a 5-minute script" request

putting in a situation

"For elementary school students to understand", "Naturally for blogs"

8. Wrap it up

In summary, a prompt is a starting point for drawing thoughts and producing results beyond just input or instruction.
Especially in the age of AI, "the ability to write prompts well" is now an important skill because the answers are completely different depending on what prompts we use.

👉 Summary:

Basic Meaning: Stimulus, Instruction, Signal, Immediate Action

AI: Any questions or requests you enter into AI

Computer: input standby signal

Writing/Education: Questions or Sentences to Bring Up an Idea

Daily life: every word or action that prompts you to do something